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Climate-Smart Homes Handed Over to Government, Then to Deserving Families

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Climate-Smart Homes Handed Over to Government, Then to Deserving Families

Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 14, 2024 (SKNIS): The two climate-smart model homes developed by East Coast Housing Development (ECHD) Ltd were officially handed over to the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis on Thursday (March 14, 2024) during a ceremony at Conaree.

Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister responsible for Housing, the Honourable Dr. Geoffrey Hanley, and several members of the Federal Cabinet joined officials from the National Housing Corporation (NHC) and ECHD to witness the momentous occasion.

Jonelle Rawlins, NHC’s General Manager, said that the ceremony “marked a significant milestone in our collective journey towards redefining the landscape of housing development in our beloved nation.”

She expressed that the two model homes and the 2,000-plus homes that will follow in the coming years are described as smart, as they incorporate more than technological features.

“While these homes certainly incorporate advanced construction technology, materials and methodologies, their smartness extends beyond the digital realm to encompass a holistic approach to sustainability, efficiency and a quality of life,” Ms. Rawlins added.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Hanley congratulated the local contractors who stepped forward to be trained in the new construction method that utilizes concreform, steel meshes, and concrete.

Dep. PM Hanley with new homeowner Belinda Buchanan

“Together we are shaping the future of housing,” he said, describing the homes as havens for families. “They have been meticulously designed to withstand disasters ensuring the safety of residents. … These homes also allow for expansion on the top providing families with the flexibility to grow without hassle.”

“These homes represent our commitment to progress, innovation, and the well-being of our citizens” Dr. Hanley continued, noting that the design aligns with the agenda to transform St. Kitts and Nevis into a sustainable island state.

Special commendation was expressed to all involved in the construction process, as well as Ambassador, His Excellency Leon Natta-Nelson and the NHC Board for guiding the initiative. TDC Ltd was recognized for outfitting the homes, the Craft House for constructing the cupboards, and Rams Supermarket for stocking the cupboards with groceries.

At the end of the ceremony, the keys to the climate-smart home at Conaree were presented to Shamarah Huggins while Belinda Buchanan received the keys to the Taylor’s home.

ELEVATE Programme Successfully Achieving Its Goals by Effecting Significant Transformations in Its Participants

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ELEVATE Programme Successfully Achieving Its Goals by Effecting Significant Transformations in Its Participants

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, March 13, 2024 (SKNIS) – Officials who are integrated into the work of the ELEVATE Programme proudly reported to the nation during the radio and television programme, InFocus, on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, that they are already witnessing significant personal growth and transformation in the thinking and lifestyle choices of numerous participants.

Major Kayode Sutton, Director of ELEVATE, said he is particularly proud of the entrepreneurial spirit and the mentors that are now emerging from the transformative ELEVATE Programme.

In giving one example, Major Sutton outlined that before being enrolled on the programme a number of the participants were engaged in the illegal planting and cultivation of marijuana. Today, Major Sutton said those same participants are now meaningfully engaged in livestock and crop farming and are productively contributing to the economy.

“Through the programme, we were collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture, and a lot of persons identified that their interest is in agriculture and so they are now able to plant food and contribute to the food security of the nation,” Director Sutton explained.

With respect to those individuals who were “just cutting grass”, Major Sutton stated that through the programme they were able to help them elevate from just cutting grass to owning their own landscaping business, noting that “all of this encompasses the transformation of the thinking or the focus of the participant such that he should not have enough time to want to loiter around the street.”

Naeemah Hazelle, Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), said a trickle-down effect that they have since noticed is that persons on the programme, who are now engaged in successful small businesses, are actively discouraging other at-risk individuals in the community from taking similar paths.

“This is an opportunity for them to say they wanted to help the people in their communities, so I can employ these five young people and because now I can employ these five young people, these are five young people who are not going to be on the streets being idle, and that really is the goal of the programme—each one reach one, each one teach one,” Permanent Secretary Hazelle said.

The transformative and cross-cutting ELEVATE initiative, which replaced the troubled Alternative Lifestyle Pathways Programme, focuses on the substantial enhancement of life and career competencies among participants.

Ministry of Energy Hosts Inspiring Career Day for Students in St. Kitts

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Ministry of Energy Hosts Inspiring Career Day for Students in St. Kitts

Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 12, 2024 (SKNIS): The Energy Unit within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure et. al. organised an Energy Career Day today, March 12, aimed at informing and introducing students to diverse career opportunities in the energy sector. 

The Career Day initiative is aligned with the government’s aspiration for St. Kitts and Nevis to transform into a sustainable island state, offering its citizens opportunities for well-paying, environmentally-friendly employment within the green economy.
 
Director of the Energy Unit, Dr. Bertill Browne during an interview said, “The career day aims to get students interested in working in the energy field, so we expose them to the different careers in the sector.”

“Due to an expected increase in job opportunities in the energy sector, we want to prepare them for that,” he said. 
 
The Career Day provided a realistic picture of the workplaces in the energy sector, acting as a networking event for students and energy professionals and enabled students to begin identifying areas of career interest in the energy sector. 
 
The Career Day is a joint venture with the Republic of China (Taiwan), St. Kitts Electricity Company Ltd. (SKELEC) and the St. Kitts Energy Ministry.
 
Stakeholders who presented to the students were the Corporate Communications Manager at SKELEC, Patrice Harris; Control and Operations Superintendent, Javid Gilbert; Chairperson for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Claricia Langley-Stevens; Engineer, Nubian Greaux; Republic of China on (Taiwan) Renewable Energy Consultancy, Alex Lai, and Auto Mechanic, Duran Merchant of TDC Ltd. 
 
The theme of this year’s Career Day is ‘Sparking the Future: Igniting Energy Careers’. 

LIFT Will Stabilize Families While Discouraging Non-Productivity and Entitlement, Says PS Clarke

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LIFT Will Stabilize Families While Discouraging Non-Productivity and Entitlement, Says PS Clarke

Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 07, 2024 (SKNIS): The Livelihood Improvement Family Transformation (LIFT) programme has mechanisms built in that will aid in stabilizing vulnerable families while helping to discourage complacency and attitudes of entitlement.

Entitlement, non-productivity and a lack of transparency were major concerns shared by officials within the Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs, who identified many troubling issues of such in the Poverty Alleviation Programme (PAP) – the programme that precedes (LIFT). On the March 06, edition of InFocus, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs, Azilla Clarke, highlighted how officials plan to address these issues when LIFT is launched on April 01, 2024.

“In social work, there is a view to stabilize a person or a family, because if I am in crisis I am not thinking about the next step. I just need to be stabilized. But stabilization, in and of itself, is a period. We have allowed that period to go on for quite a while so it’s now transitioned from stabilization to entitlement and non-productivity,” said Ms. Clarke. “So we are aware of that and that’s why we are putting in more person-to-person interaction, asking the persons what they need and their goals, what do they want to see change? Because remember the title is transformation, making a change in your situation, so what about your current situation that you think can change to be able to elevate you one step closer to the goal that you and your family have.”

In addition to closer case management where the department staff interacts regularly with LIFT beneficiaries, the individuals receiving the cash transfer will be strongly encouraged to participate in empowerment sessions on financial literacy, starting and managing a business and more. Additionally, the beneficiaries will be offered advice on job hunting, ways to excel at a job interview, etc. from the Department of Employment and Labour.

Minister of State responsible for Social Development, the Honourable Isalean Phillip, noted that these will be “part and parcel” of the requirements for LIFT “where we get an assessment of the people and what they are interested in, what their needs are and see how we can connect them to wraparound services,” she stated, noting that the end goal is for persons to learn and develop skills to help support their own independence.

LIFT will provide up to $600 cash transfer social assistance per month to households and families earning less than $2,500.

​​significant Investments Will Continue to Be Made by the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis to Ensure the Safety and Security of All

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​​significant Investments Will Continue to Be Made by the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis to Ensure the Safety and Security of All

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, March 7, 2024 (SKNIS) – The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force welcomed the addition of six new vehicles to its fleet today, Thursday, March 7, 2024, with a seventh vehicle expected to join the fleet shortly.

Prime Minister and Minister of National, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew symbolically handed over the keys to Commissioner of Police, James Sutton, during a brief exchange at the Police Training Complex.

Addressing members of the media during the March 07 edition of ‘The Roundtable’, Prime Minister Dr. Drew said this significant investment forms part of the Ministry of National Security’s broader strategic plan to expand surveillance capabilities across the country.

“This would allow law enforcement officers to be more effective in terms of coverage in the communities and so forth,” Dr. Drew said, while noting that the ministry expects this to result in better security for all.

The national security minister noted further that his administration has made other significant investments to strengthen the national security framework in St. Kitts and Nevis. These include upgrades being made at the Police Training Complex, expansion of the CCTV programme, as well as the reopening of the Dieppe Bay Police Station. The prime minister also pointed out that as the Federal Government, his administration has also initiated work on the Charlestown Police Station in Nevis and has re-commenced construction on the police training centre at Lime Kiln.

“So we have invested significantly in national security and we will continue to invest to make sure that our people are as safe as possible,” Prime Minister Drew said, while stressing that emphasis is also being placed on strengthening its community policing initiative and the human resource capacity.

Dr. Drew noted that, “For the first time in a long time the High Command of the Police Force is decked out, including the addition of an extra ACP [Assistant Commissioner of Police], because community policing will be a fundamental pillar of policing here in St. Kitts and Nevis.”

Of the seven new vehicles handed over to the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force on Thursday, two will be sent across for use by the Nevis Division. One will also be assigned for use by the Joint Security Operations Tactical Team.

Women in Plumbing Kicks Off Five-week Training Series

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Women in Plumbing Kicks Off Five-week Training Series

Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 04, 2024 (SKNIS): A five-week series of training for women in areas traditionally dominated by men commenced on Saturday (March 02, 2024), with the basics of plumbing.

It was a full house as 34 of the registered 35 females participated in the hands-on session that covered fixing a leaky faucet, unclogging blocked drains, repairing a running toilet, joining pipes and more. The 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. class was held at the Advanced Vocational Education Centre (AVEC).

The training was organised by the Department of Gender Affairs to commemorate International Women’s Day on March 08, 2024. Acting Director of Gender Affairs, Shinnel Charles, expressed pleasure with the outcome of the first training.

“The session was awesome,” she stated. “At the end of the session, I had interaction with some of the women, and I asked them questions like ‘how was it for you?’ Most of them said that they liked the session. Two of them were rushing to go to the hardware store before it closed because they wanted to buy two small items to fix pipes at home. I smiled because I can see that we made an impact.”

Empowering women with the “know-how” in several technical fields so that they can address minor issues in the home or with a car was the objective of the Women in Plumbing session, explained Mrs. Charles. The materials for the workshop were provided by S. L. Horsford and Company Ltd, while the session was facilitated by an official from the Public Works Department.

Next week’s session is dubbed Women in Auto Mechanics. Registration is fully booked.

St. Kitts and Nevis Embarks on a Critical Journey to Combat Climate Change Through National Adaptation Plan Development

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St. Kitts and Nevis Embarks on a Critical Journey to Combat Climate Change Through National Adaptation Plan Development

Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 04, 2024 (SKNIS): The Department of Public Sector Investment Planning (PSIP) within the Ministry of Sustainable Development, hosted a consultation workshop on March 04, 2024, at the CUNA Conference Centre, aimed at developing a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to address and lessen the impacts of climate change to the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.

This initiative, crucial for safeguarding the country’s future, saw the gathering of key policymakers, and climate change and disaster management practitioners, along with private sector representatives, embarking on a journey to devise strategic actions to mitigate the impacts of climate change on the twin-island Federation.

At the opening ceremony, Shez Dore-Tyson, Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Sustainable Development, extended a warm welcome to the attendees, urging them to engage deeply and constructively in the upcoming discussions.

“I know we will have fruitful discussions, so make yourselves comfortable and open your minds to honest engagements and discussions as we chart the way forward on this threat – the threat of climate change to us and to posterity,” said PS Dore-Tyson. 

This vital consultation is being facilitated by the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis through the Ministry of Sustainable Development – PSIP, in partnership with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) and the Green Climate Fund. The collective effort underscores a regional commitment to environmental stewardship and resilience building, reflecting the urgency of addressing climate change impacts head-on.

Acknowledging the pivotal role of the CCCCC in the consultation process, PS Dore-Tyson highlighted the Centre’s expertise in guiding the discussions towards productive outcomes. She said that the involvement of the agency is instrumental in leveraging regional knowledge and resources to support St. Kitts and Nevis in crossing the finish line in its quest to develop a robust National Adaptation Plan.

Vacancies at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure

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Vacancies at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure

Kindly see the links below with vacancies from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure RE:  Senior Engineer; Chief Engineer; Engineer Officer, and Welder. 

Advertisement_for_Vacancy_ENERGY_OFFICER.01
Advertisement_for_Vacancy_WELDER
Advertisement_for_Vacancy_SENIOR_ENGINEER.01
Advertisement_for_Vacancy_CHIEF_ENGINEER.01

St. Kitts and Nevis Achieves Remarkable Economic Turnaround With Surplus in 2023

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St. Kitts and Nevis Achieves Remarkable Economic Turnaround With Surplus in 2023

Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 02, 2024 (SKNIS): The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis will see a significant economic milestone, marking a year of robust economic growth and fiscal surplus in 2023. This achievement reflects the nation’s strong recovery trajectory, following a challenging period of deficits in 2022.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by Mr. Alexandre Chailloux recently concluded the 2024 Article IV consultation, offering an optimistic view of the country’s economic health and policy implementations. The IMF’s findings underscore the success of St. Kitts and Nevis in navigating post-pandemic recovery and addressing the cost-of-living crisis, culminating in a commendable fiscal surplus.

The turnaround can be attributed to several key factors including Fiscal Prudence and the Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) Programme; Economic Growth; Renewable Energy Investments; Tourism Recovery, and Inflation Management.

The government, led by Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, acknowledges the IMF’s recommendations for continued economic resilience, including enhancing the effectiveness of government spending, improving the tax system, and increasing investments in renewable energy and climate adaptation. The introduction of a Sustainability and Resilience Fund and an explicit fiscal rule are among the strategic measures being considered to fortify the nation’s fiscal framework.

Prime Minister Drew highlighted his government’s dedication to comprehensive development strategies, stressing the significance of sustainability, economic stability, and improving living standards for all citizens and residents.

“As St. Kitts and Nevis embarks on further economic reforms and infrastructure development, the focus remains on sustainable growth, financial stability, and improving the quality of life for all its citizens,” he said. “The government remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the continued success of the Citizenship-by-Investment program as it strengthens its economic foundations for future generations.”

He further stated that the positive economic outlook and the strategic initiatives underway promise a bright future for St. Kitts and Nevis, as it sets a precedent for resilience and prosperity in the Caribbean region.

The full report from the International Monetary Fund can be accessed at: https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2024/03/01/cs30124-st-kitts-and-nevis-concluding-statement-of-the-2024-article-iv-mission.

ECSC Initiates Pilot Project in St. Kitts and Nevis With AI Technology to Revolutionise Court Proceedings

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ECSC Initiates Pilot Project in St. Kitts and Nevis With AI Technology to Revolutionise Court Proceedings

Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 01, 2024 (SKNIS): The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) took a significant step forward in the modernization of legal processes today, March 01, 2024, with the soft launch of a groundbreaking pilot project at the High Court in Fortlands, St. Kitts. This pilot introduces advanced software designed to convert audio recordings of court proceedings into text in real-time, leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.

The Honourable Chief Justice, Her Ladyship, Dame Janice M. Pereira, presided over the ceremony, marking the beginning of a new era in the judicial system. The AI-driven software, developed by ‘FTR – For the Record,’ aims to efficiently produce official court transcripts, thereby addressing the longstanding issue of transcript backlog which has affected the court’s scheduling of matters and access to justice.

Chief Justice Pereira expressed her enthusiasm for the project.

“This, I think, is really awesome in terms of the way it will revolutionise our court proceedings. I am really very pleased that we have been able to really do this soft launch.”

She further emphasised the benefits of the technology for all court stakeholders.

“I know that the court officers, the judges, that their hands and health, will not suffer as much in terms of all the long-hand writing that they sometimes are requested to do. But, very importantly, [this will prove beneficial to] litigants whose matters are before the court and the need to ensure that we are giving proper access to justice at all levels of the court – that, at the end of the day, is what I think is going to be the lasting impact of incorporating systems like these fully within the court.”

Attorney-General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, the Honourable Garth Wilkin said that this initiative represents a monumental shift in the ECSC’s approach to resolving one of the most pressing challenges in the judicial system, promising faster, more accessible justice for all.

Members of the Bar Council and the St. Kitts and Nevis Bar Association extended their profound thanks to the court for its innovative approach and dedication to improving the efficiency of the legal process.

The ECSC is a regional court serving member states in the Eastern Caribbean, providing judicial support and ensuring access to justice. It has been at the forefront of addressing judicial challenges and improving the efficiency of legal processes in the Caribbean since 1967.

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